Long
-
Term
Career
Change
Goals
0 1
Direction
&
Target
Role
YEARS
0–1
1
Commit
to
one
destination
field
and
one
primary
role
family
.
Within
the
first
90
days
of
planning
,
narrow
“
something
different
”
to
a
single
industry
and
a
single
job
family
—
not
three
possibilities
.
Verify
the
choice
with
at
least
20
informational
interviews
,
two
shadow
days
,
and
a
written
one
-
page
rationale
covering
the
work
itself
,
typical
employers
,
salary
range
,
and
daily
conditions
.
2
Write
your
five
-
year
end
-
state
in
one
specific
sentence
.
Define
the
exact
role
you
are
moving
toward
—
title
,
seniority
level
,
sector
,
organization
size
,
and
location
.
Example
: “
By
2031
I
am
a
Senior
Product
Designer
in
a
healthcare
technology
company
,
working
on
clinical
workflow
software
.”
A
specific
target
makes
every
interim
decision
easier
.
3
Become
qualified
for
a
mid
-
level
role
—
not
an
entry
-
level
one
.
Within
24–36
months
,
close
the
gap
between
your
current
profile
and
the
requirements
for
roles
asking
for
2–4
years
of
relevant
experience
,
so
you
enter
the
new
field
at
a
professional
level
rather
than
restarting
from
the
bottom
of
the
ladder
.
4
Build
a
transferable
-
narrative
portfolio
from
your
existing
experience
.
Convert
8–12
years
of
past
work
into
a
set
of
short
,
metric
-
based
stories
that
translate
to
the
new
field
—
projects
led
,
problems
solved
,
budgets
managed
,
people
developed
.
These
stories
become
the
backbone
of
your
CV
,
your
LinkedIn
profile
,
and
every
interview
answer
.
5
Target
the
intersection
where
your
old
expertise
is
rare
and
valued
.
Long
-
term
,
position
yourself
as
a
hybrid
professional
rather
than
a
beginner
.
Identify
employers
where
your
previous
industry
knowledge
is
a
differentiator
—
and
aim
your
applications
at
roles
that
require
both
the
new
skill
set
and
your
prior
domain
experience
.
0 2
Skills
&
Credentials
YEARS
1–3
6
Earn
the
single
credential
that
removes
your
biggest
blocker
.
Within
18–30
months
,
complete
the
degree
,
diploma
,
certificate
,
or
licence
that
appears
most
frequently
in
job
postings
for
your
target
role
.
One
decisive
credential
beats
five
half
-
started
courses
.
7
Create
three
visible
proof
-
of
-
skill
projects
.
Turn
learning
into
artefacts
you
can
show
:
a
portfolio
piece
,
an
open
-
source
contribution
,
a
published
case
study
,
or
a
real
paid
project
for
a
small
client
.
Employers
in
a
new
field
hire
evidence
,
not
intentions
.
8
Complete
a
supervised
bridge
experience
in
the
target
industry
.
Within
the
first
three
years
,
secure
an
internship
,
apprenticeship
,
fellowship
,
or
structured
volunteer
placement
of
3–12
months
inside
your
destination
sector
.
Supervised
hands
-
on
experience
is
the
single
strongest
predictor
of
being
hired
afterwards
.
9
Establish
a
sustainable
annual
learning
rhythm
.
Once
you
are
working
in
the
new
field
,
maintain
40+
hours
of
structured
learning
per
year
—
formal
courses
,
certifications
,
industry
conferences
,
and
a
deliberate
reading
list
—
so
your
skills
stay
current
well
beyond
the
transition
period
.
0 3
Network
&
Visibility
YEARS
1–4
10
Grow
a
network
of
100+
people
in
the
new
field
by
the
end
of
year
two
.
Build
through
informational
interviews
,
industry
events
,
alumni
connections
,
and
online
communities
—
then
convert
at
least
15
of
those
relationships
into
active
,
recurring
contact
.
Your
next
career
will
come
through
people
,
not
job
boards
.
11
Recruit
two
mentors
and
one
sponsor
within
the
first
two
years
.
Find
mentors
who
work
in
your
target
role
and
meet
with
each
quarterly
.
By
year
three
,
identify
a
senior
sponsor
inside
your
destination
organization
who
can
advocate
for
you
when
opportunities
—
or
budgets
—
arise
.
12
Become
visible
to
employers
before
you
apply
.
Publish
at
least
four
pieces
per
year
—
articles
,
talks
,
or
social
content
—
on
topics
in
your
new
field
,
so
that
recruiters
and
hiring
managers
can
find
you
and
see
genuine
interest
before
your
CV
ever
arrives
.
13
Put
your
previous
professional
network
to
deliberate
use
.
Notify
your
existing
contacts
of
your
direction
,
ask
for
introductions
into
the
target
industry
,
and
keep
the
relationships
warm
—
former
colleagues
frequently
provide
the
first
bridge
into
a
completely
new
sector
.
0 4
Financial
&
Practical
Foundation
YEARS
0–4
1 / 2
14
Build
a
12-
month
living
-
expense
runway
before
leaving
your
current
income
.
Save
enough
to
cover
essentials
for
a
full
year
before
resigning
,
so
that
a
salary
dip
or
a
longer
-
than
-
expected
job
search
does
not
force
you
to
accept
the
first
offer
that
comes
along
.
15
Plan
the
compensation
bridge
honestly
.
Research
realistic
starting
salaries
in
the
new
field
and
expect
an
initial
adjustment
of
20–40%
in
many
transitions
.
Set
a
long
-
term
recovery
target
—
for
example
,
returning
to
100%
of
your
previous
income
within
four
years
of
starting
the
new
career
—
and
track
progress
against
it
annually
.
16
Protect
healthcare
and
benefits
coverage
through
every
gap
.
Before
leaving
an
employer
,
map
your
coverage
options
—
a
partner
’
s
plan
,
COBRA
,
the
public
marketplace
,
or
a
professional
association
—
so
that
a
benefits
gap
never
forces
you
into
a
bad
career
decision
.
17
Diversify
income
early
in
the
transition
.
Create
a
secondary
income
stream
in
the
new
field
—
freelance
work
,
consulting
,
teaching
,
or
a
small
paid
project
—
during
the
retraining
phase
.
It
reduces
financial
pressure
,
builds
your
portfolio
,
and
often
becomes
a
direct
path
to
full
-
time
employment
.
0 5
Fulfilment
&
Long
-
Term
Fit
YEARS
1–10
18
Validate
the
fit
through
immersion
before
fully
committing
.
Complete
at
least
one
“
test
week
” —
shadowing
,
a
short
-
term
contract
,
a
weekend
intensive
,
or
working
with
someone
in
the
field
—
before
making
irreversible
decisions
.
Long
-
term
goals
should
be
based
on
direct
experience
of
the
work
,
not
just
research
about
it
.
19
By
year
three
,
reach
a
working
environment
aligned
with
your
values
and
desired
lifestyle
.
Evaluate
the
new
career
against
the
reasons
you
left
the
old
one
—
autonomy
,
meaning
,
flexibility
,
location
,
or
team
culture
—
and
adjust
roles
if
the
day
-
to
-
day
reality
does
not
deliver
them
.
20
Schedule
formal
five
-
year
and
ten
-
year
reviews
of
the
change
itself
.
Define
success
metrics
before
you
transition
—
satisfaction
,
income
,
growth
rate
,
impact
,
and
work
-
life
balance
—
and
review
them
at
year
five
and
year
ten
.
If
the
change
has
not
delivered
on
the
reasons
you
made
it
,
build
a
deliberate
plan
to
correct
course
rather
than
quietly
settling
.
Lon g
-
Term
Career
Ch an ge
Goal s
Revi ew
at
m on th s
6 · 12 · 24 · 36 · 60
2 / 2
